System and method for facilitating the transfer of information relating to quality of an organization

ABSTRACT

A system and method transfers information relating to quality or standards of an organization from a server to a wireless handheld computing device and from the wireless handheld computing device to the server in real-time or near real-time. Each member of an organization can have the same policies and procedures as soon as any of the policies and procedures are updated. The inventive system can allow an organization to also measure compliance and conformance with the distributed policies and procedures. With the handheld computing devices, each member of an organization can complete tests that are closely tied to the distributed policies and procedures. The results of these tests can be transmitted in real-time or near real-time from the handheld computing devices to a central computer server so that an organization can track current performance of all its members relative to the policies and procedures and relative to each other.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

The patent application is related to co-pending U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 10/421,639, entitled “SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PROVIDING FIELDFORCE AUTOMATION IN BIG BOX RETAIL ENVIRONMENTS,” filed Apr. 22, 2003.

The patent application is related to co-pending U.S. patent applicationNo. Unassigned, entitled “SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR COMMUNICATING DATABETWEEN WIRELESS MOBILE HAND-HELD COMPUTER AND A BACK-END COMPUTERSYSTEM,” filed Dec. 23, 2005.

The patent application is related to co-pending U.S. patent applicationNo. Unassigned, entitled “SYSTEMS AND METHOD FOR MANAGING ASSETINSTALLATION AND EVALUATION,” filed concurrently herewith on Dec. 30,2005.

The patent application is related to co-pending U.S. patent applicationNo. Unassigned, entitled “SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR FACILITATING SALESUTILZING CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT TECHNOLOGY,” filedconcurrently herewith on Dec. 30, 2005.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates generally to wireless handheld computing devicesand computer servers that communicate with the devices for managingquality of an organization. More particularly, the invention relates toa system and method for facilitating the transfer of informationrelating to quality of an organization from a server to a wirelesshandheld computing device and from the mobile handheld computing deviceto the server in real-time or near real-time.

BACKGROUND

Many organizations have several different members who may be located indiverse geographic locations. This is often the case for businesses whomay have several different locations. For example, a retail business canhave several different stores in several different neighborhoods acrossa city. For national organizations, a retail business can have dozens ofstores in several cities of different states.

While organizations such as retail businesses embrace this geographicaldiversity because it equates to more sales volume, this geographicaldiversity can also add to operation costs and to the complexity ofrunning each retail front uniformly. Organizations, such as retailbusinesses, understand the value of repeat consumers associating acertain level of quality with a brand of a business. To achieve thisconsistent level of quality at each geographic location as perceived byan ordinary repeat consumer, each business under the umbrella of thebrand must provide the same service(s) or product(s) (or both).

In order to provide exact same service(s) or product(s) (or both) ateach geographic location, an organization must prepare a set ofguidelines or standards that each business at a particular geographiclocation must follow. It is in this way that an organization canmaintain a certain level of quality irrespective of the location of itsbusiness. In the past and currently, leaders of organizations, such asbusinesses, prepare standards and guidelines addressing quality on paperand distribute these paper standards and guidelines to each of itsmembers. These paper documents can be sent via fax, mail, post, orcourier. In some conventional organizations, documents can bedistributed via e-mail in which each member of the organization wouldreceive the document and print it out at the location received with aprinter.

While the aforementioned delivery methods are advanced when compared tothe plain post-and-mail traditional method of past, all of these methodsstill waste significant amounts of paper whenever a standard orguideline is updated by a leader of the organization. Further, lag timestill exists between the completion of a standard or guideline and theactual receipt with implementation by a particular member. For example,even in the conventional e-mail context, a busy manager of localbusiness may not have time to print out new guidelines or standards whena leader at the national level has e-mailed a change to all of thecollective local businesses. This lag time in receiving a change in orreceiving a completely new standard or guideline can be significant.

For example, if a leader at the national level wanted to introduce a newproduct or service at the same time at all geographic locations, thosemembers who did not print out the guidelines when the e-mail containingthe information about the new product or service would never know aboutthe new product or service. Even more significant from a businessperspective, if a leader of a business organization wanted to increaseprices for a product or service across all geographic locations, thosemembers who did not receive this directive would equate to substantiallosses in profits for the business organization.

Once a local member of national organization receives a standard orguideline, success in implementing the standard or guideline is also notguaranteed. To help with implementing standards, leaders oforganizations also provide quality tests or measures to its localmembers. Often these tests are on paper forms and they areself-administered by a member who fills out the form and then mails itback to the leader(s) of the organization. The leader(s) of theorganization will sometimes outsource the grading of these forms to athird party agency who will compile the results of all members andprovide scores to the leader(s). This grading “process” can take sometime and if an organization is constantly changing its guidelines orstandards, the leader(s) will never know the true performance of each ofits members in maintaining a certain level of quality for product(s) orservice(s) (or both).

Another drawback associated with quality tests or measures is thatleader(s) often rely on its members to grade themselves. While honestanswers from each member would help the overall organization to identifyits members who are strong and its members who are weak, it becomesapparent that self-administered tests by members would not attractabsolute honesty for obvious reasons. For example, a local member who isafraid that he may lose his membership from an organization due to lowor poor performance on quality tests may inflate his true or actualscores in order to deceive leaders that the local member is performingadequately or above the normal range for concern.

Another problem with quality tests or measures and even the creation ofpolicies and/or guidelines is the ability to track the evolution ofthese elements and any interrelationships among common elements. Forexample, in certain areas of businesses, certain elements can overlap.For example, in food product safety, procedures can be common to severaldifferent types of food products. When handling raw food, employeesshould wear gloves to prevent spreading germs. An organization may haveguidelines or procedures for handling different types of specific foodproducts. So if there is a guideline or procedure that is common to twoor more different products, such as wearing gloves when handling a foodproduct, it may be necessary for an organization to update eachguideline or procedure under each product separately even if they sharea common guideline or procedure.

Accordingly, there remains a need for a method or system that help trackguidelines or procedures that may be common to different products orservices. There is also a need in the art for a method and system thatcan provide members of an organization with the most current informationon quality so that each of the members can provide uniform products orservices (or both). There is a further need in the art for a method andsystem that can allow members of an organization to accurately measureits performance relative to quality information provided by theorganization.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention satisfies the above-described and other needs by providinga system and method for facilitating the transfer of informationrelating to quality or standards of an organization from a server to awireless handheld computing device and from the wireless handheldcomputing device to the server in real-time or near real-time. Thesystem and method can allow an organization, such as a business, todistribute information in real-time or near real-time relating toquality or standards when this information is updated. This ability totransfer quality or standards information in real-time or near real-timeafter the information has been updated can be valuable to organizationsthat may have operations in several different geographic locations. Forexample, in retail businesses or franchises that have several stores atdifferent locations, the ability to maintain a certain level of qualitythat is consistent from one store to another is very important andallows retail businesses or franchises to create brand security.

To achieve brand security, an organization usually requires each of itsmembers to follow policies and procedures that are closely connectedwith the organization's quality or standards. The inventive system andmethod can allow an organization to create policies and procedures on acentral computer server and to distribute them in real-time or nearreal-time to each of its members with wireless handheld computingdevices. This means that each member of an organization can have thesame policies and procedures as soon as any of the policies andprocedures are updated.

In addition to distributing updated policies and procedures in real-timeor near real-time, the inventive system and method can allow anorganization to also measure compliance and conformance with thedistributed policies and procedures. With the handheld computingdevices, each member of an organization can complete tests that areclosely tied to the distributed policies and procedures. The results ofthese tests can be transmitted in real-time or near real-time from thehandheld computing devices to a central computer server so that anorganization can track current performance of all its members relativeto the policies and procedures and relative to each other.

The inventive system and method can provide a computer program forcreating policies, procedures, and tests that are distributed to thewireless handheld computing devices. The computer program can allow anorganization to create policies, procedures, and tests in a consistentmanner and in which related elements are linked to one another. In otherwords, if any policies, procedures, or tests have related or overlappingelements, any updates to one element can automatically be applied to anyrelated elements. For example, if a first test has a first question anda second test has the same first question, any updates to the firstquestion of the first test can be automatically applied to the samefirst question in the second test. In this way, the inventive method andsystem can also control quality of the policies, procedures, and teststhat are distributed to the wireless mobile handheld computing devices.

According to another exemplary aspect, the inventive method and systemcan provide separate data stores for an organization and each member ofthe organization. In other words, a single member of an organization,such as a retail store, can complete tests associated with policies andprocedures and save the results of these tests in a data store that isonly accessible by the retail store itself. This secure storage of datathat is only accessible by the retail store itself can promote honestyand integrity in the answers for the tests so that the individual retailstore can measure its own true performance. Meanwhile, the organizationcan maintain its own separate data store for tests that are completed bymanagement when management visits its members, such as a retail store.

According to one exemplary aspect, the data store that maintains theresults of the tests completed by senior management can be shared witheach member of the organization so that each member, such as a retailstore, can compare the results of the management tests against theresults of the retail store's private tests. This data store thatmaintains the results of the tests completed by senior management allowsthe organization track performance across the entire organization aswell as the performance of each individual member of the organization.

Additional aspects, features, and advantages of the invention willbecome apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of thefollowing detailed description of illustrated embodiments exemplifyingthe best mode of carrying out the invention as presently perceived.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A is a functional block diagram of some core architecturalcomponents for a middleware system that communicates data betweenwireless mobile hand-held computers and a database according to oneexemplary embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 1B is a functional block diagram of two locations of anorganization that can store quality test results in separate privatedatabases and a public national database according to one exemplaryembodiment of the invention.

FIG. 1C is an exemplary screen display of software running on themiddleware server for creating task sheets according to one exemplaryembodiment of the invention.

FIG. 1D is an exemplary screen display of software running on themiddleware server for creating quality requirements or directivesaccording to one exemplary embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 1E is an exemplary screen display of software running on a wirelesshandheld computer for answering questions relating to qualityrequirements or directives according to one exemplary embodiment of theinvention.

FIG. 1F is an exemplary screen display of software running on a wirelesshandheld computer for displaying quality requirements or directivesaccording to one exemplary embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 1G is an exemplary screen display of software running on themiddleware server for creating summary scoring reports based on answersreceived from one or more wireless handheld computers at differentlocations according to one exemplary embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 1H is another exemplary screen display of software running on themiddleware server for creating detailed scoring reports based on answersreceived from one or more wireless handheld computers at a singlelocation according to one exemplary embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 1I is yet another exemplary screen display of software running onthe middleware server for creating budget reports based on answersreceived from one or more wireless handheld computers at differentlocations according to one exemplary embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 1J is a bar chart comparing results of tests from a first locationrelative to a second location of a organization based on answersreceived from one or more wireless handheld computers at the twolocations according to one exemplary embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2A is a logic flow diagram illustrating an exemplary method forcreating task sheets on quality that are destined for wireless hand-heldcomputers according to one exemplary embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2B is a logic flow diagram illustrating an exemplary method forprocessing task sheets on quality with wireless hand-held computersaccording to one exemplary embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 3 is a logic flow diagram illustrating an exemplary method forsynchronizing wireless hand-held computers with a middleware serveraccording to one exemplary embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 4 is a logic flow diagram illustrating an exemplary method foruploading files from a wireless hand-held computer to a middlewareserver according to one exemplary embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 5 is a logic flow diagram illustrating an exemplary method fordownloading files from a middleware server to a wireless hand-heldcomputer according to one exemplary embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

A system and method can help transfer information relating to quality orstandards of an organization from a server to a wireless handheldcomputing device and from the wireless handheld computing device to theserver in real-time or near real-time. The system and method can allowan organization, such as a business, to distribute information inreal-time or near real-time relating to quality or standards when thisinformation is updated. Each member of an organization can have the samepolicies and procedures as soon as any of the policies and proceduresare updated.

In addition to distributing updated policies and procedures in real-timeor near real-time, the inventive system and method can allow anorganization to also measure compliance and conformance with thedistributed policies and procedures. With the handheld computingdevices, each member of an organization can complete tests that areclosely tied to the distributed policies and procedures. The results ofthese tests can be transmitted in real-time or near real-time from thehandheld computing devices to a central computer server so that anorganization can track current performance of all its members relativeto the policies and procedures and relative to each other.

Exemplary embodiments of the invention will hereinafter be describedwith reference to the drawings, in which like numerals are used toindicate like elements.

Referring now to FIG. 1, this Figure is a block diagram illustrating anexemplary operating environment for implementation of various exemplaryembodiments of the inventive system 100. Network devices areinterconnected via a network 120. The network 120 can comprise a wiredor wireless telecommunication means by which network devices canexchange data, including for example, a local area network (“LAN”), awide area network (“WAN”), an intranet, an Internet, or any combinationthereof. Throughout the discussion of exemplary embodiments of theinvention, it should be understood that the terms “data” and“information” are used interchangeably herein to refer to text, images,audio, video, signatures, and/or any other form of information that canexist in a computer-based environment.

A network device can be any device capable of transmitting and receivingdata over the network 120. For example, a network device can be amiddleware server 130, a handheld device (comprising a wireless handheldcomputer) 105, and/or dedicated storage devices, such as a database 155.The middleware server 130 can comprise software for interacting, e.g.,via the network 120 and/or a direct data link (not shown), forprocessing data from the database 155. A desktop computer 145 caninteract with the middleware server 130 via the network 120 using webbrowser application software.

The middleware software 170 running on the middleware server 130 cancomprise software as described in “System and Method For CommunicatingData Between Wireless Mobile Hand-Held Computer and a Back-End ComputerSystem,” filed on Dec. 23, 2005 (Attorney Docket No. 07258.105008),which is hereby fully incorporated herein by reference. The middlewaresoftware 170 can manage information received from and transmitted tonumerous wireless handheld computers 105.

The policy/standards software 180 can comprise software for creating andmanaging task sheets that are sent to wireless handheld computers 105.The software can comprise software as described in co-pending U.S.patent application Ser. No. 10/421,639, entitled “Systems and Methodsfor Providing Field Force Automation in Big Box Retail Environments,”filed Apr. 22, 2003, which is hereby fully incorporated herein byreference.

By way of illustration only, the handheld device 105 can be a MicrosoftWindows® CE-based device, such as the Casio ‘Cassiopeia,’ the Dell™‘Axim™,’ etc., a Palm OS-based personal digital assistant (PDA), or anyother suitable handheld computing device. The handheld device 105 cancomprise input/output (“I/O”) devices, such as a display screen 107,integrated controls (buttons) 109, a camera 115, a scanner (not shown),a microphone 111, a speaker (not shown), and a printer 112. The handhelddevice 105 can be configured with any combination of integrated I/Odevices or add-on I/O devices. Add-on I/O devices can be coupled to thehandheld device 105, e.g., by way of an expansion slot, port, wirelesslink, or other suitable interface. The display screen 107 can betouch-sensitive or motion-sensitive to accept input signals from apointing device 113, such as a stylus or finger.

The handheld device 105 can further comprise communication capabilitiesin any well-known or emerging form, including, e.g., a modem, a networkinterface, or the like. Through such capabilities, the handheld device105 can communicate with the network 120 via a wireless connectionand/or via a wired connection. By communicating via a wirelessconnection, for example, the handheld device 105 can transmit data to,and receive data from, the middleware server 130 in real-time or nearreal-time. Thus, an organization can monitor performance of organizationmembers in real-time or near real-time. By way of example, seeco-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______, entitled “Systemsand Method For Managing Asset Installation and Evaluation,” filedconcurrently herewith on Dec. 30, 2005 (Attorney Docket No.07258.105010), which is hereby fully incorporated herein by reference.

A handheld device user can continually receive updated organizationinformation relating to quality that can assist them in performing theirwork assignments at different locations. In one embodiment of theinvention, the handheld device 105 can communicate with the network 120via another network device, for example, if connected to the othernetwork device by way of a cradle, cable, or other device or wirelessconnection. The handheld device 105 can be configured to communicateaccording to any suitable communication protocol(s).

As illustrated in FIG. 1, handheld devices 105, a middleware server 130,desktop computer 145 may all be interconnected by way of a network 120.Desktop computers 145 may include any processor-driven devices that areconfigured to communicate with the middleware server 130 via the network120 or a dedicated communications link.

In the environment shown in FIG. 1, data collected with a handhelddevice 105 by an organization representative may be transmitted to themiddleware server 130 and may be made instantly (or nearly instantly)available to the other handheld devices 145 connected to the network120. The middleware server 130 may include or be in communication withthe database 155 for storing the data received by the handheld device105. The database 155 may be configured to store data in an encryptedformat, using a relational data storage model, an object oriented datastorage model, a data aggregate storage model (e.g., one or more XMLaggregates) or any other suitable data storage model. As one example,desktop computers 145 may interact with the middleware server 130 viathe network 120 using web browser software. By way of example, seediscussed in co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/421,639,entitled “Systems and Methods for Providing Field Force Automation inBig Box Retail Environments,” filed Apr. 22, 2003, and U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. ______, entitled “System and Method ForCommunicating Data Between Wireless Mobile Hand-Held Computer and aBack-End Computer System,” filed on Dec. 23, 2005 (Attorney Docket No.07258.105008), each of which is hereby fully incorporated herein byreference.

Each organization representative may use a handheld device 105 tocollect data while working and or visiting a location 150. Theorganization representative may complete task sheets that relate toquality of the organization by using the handheld device 105. Thehandheld device 105 of the invention may be configured with hardwareand/or software for receiving and storing various types of data,including text, signatures, images and sounds. By way of illustrationonly, the handheld device 105 may comprise a Microsoft Windows CE-baseddevice, such as the Casio ‘Cassiopeia,’ the Dell ‘Axim,’ etc., a PalmOS-based personal digital assistant (PDA), or any other suitablehandheld computing device.

Referring now to FIG. 1B, this figure is a functional block diagram oftwo locations 150A, 150B of an organization that can store quality testresults in separate private databases 155A, 155B and a public nationaldatabase 155C according to one exemplary embodiment of the invention. Afirst organization rep 215A that manages the first location 150A can usea wireless handheld computer 105A to track quality measures, such asanswers to questions that relate to quality. For example, a firstorganization rep 215A can track the cleanliness of two pieces ofequipment, such as a first refrigerator 157A and a first oven 159A.

The data produced by the first wireless handheld computer 105A can bestored in the first private database 155A that is only accessible by thefirst organization rep 215A. Similarly, a second organization rep 215Bthat manages the second location 150B can use a wireless handheldcomputer 105B to track quality measures, such as answers to questionsthat relate to quality. For example, the second organization rep 215Acan track the cleanliness of two pieces of equipment, such as secondrefrigerator 157B and a second oven 159B. The data produced by thesecond wireless handheld computer 105B can be stored in the secondprivate database 155B that is only accessible by the second organizationrep 215B.

A third organization rep 215C can track the cleanliness of all thepieces of equipment from the first and second locations 150A, 150B suchas the first and second refrigerators 157A, 158B and the first andsecond ovens 159A, 159B. Unlike the data from the first and secondwireless handheld computers 105A, 105B, the data from the third wirelesshandheld computer 105C can be stored in a national public database 155Cthat can be accessed by the first, second, or third organization reps215A, 215B, 215C.

In this way, each location 150 can complete tests associated withpolicies and procedures and save the results of these tests in a datastore 155A, 155B that is only accessible by the location itself. Thissecure storage of data that is only accessible by the location 150itself can promote honesty and integrity in the answers for the tests sothat the individual location 150 can measure its own true performanceMeanwhile, the organization can maintain its own separate data store fortests that are completed by the third organization reps 215C when eachthird organization rep 215C visits an organization member location 150A,150B.

The third data store 155C that maintains the results of the testscompleted by senior management can be shared with each member of theorganization so that each member, such as a the first and secondlocations 150A, 150B, can compare the results of the management testsagainst the results of a location's private tests. This third data store155C that maintains the results of the tests completed by seniormanagement allows the organization track performance across the entireorganization as well as the performance of each individual member of theorganization. The organization can access the third data store 155C witha desktop 145 that can display results of the various locations 150A,150B.

Referring now to FIG. 1C, this Figure is an exemplary screen display 100of software running on the middleware server 130 for creating tasksheets according to one exemplary embodiment of the invention. Thescreen display 100 comprises a task sheet formation area. Within thetask sheet formation area, a user can enter a title 102. With the tasksheet formation interface, a user can create questions that can be usedto measure quality of an organization. The example illustrated in FIG.1C has the title 102 of “Food Safety.”

To form a task sheet that comprises a sequence of questions 103 thatrelate to a quality standard or directive, such as “Food Safety”, a usercan select questions from a database or list of questions 111. Forexample, a user can select a question 107 for insertion into thesequence of questions 103 at next question region 105. A user can scrollthrough the list of questions 111 by using a button 109 on a scroll bar.A user can also create new questions by entering a new question using akeyboard in the next question region 105. Any new questions can beautomatically added to the database or list of questions 111. Furtherdetails of how new questions are entered and tracked by the database aredescribed below in connection with FIG. 2A described below.

Referring now to FIG. 1D, this Figure an exemplary screen display 123 ofsoftware running on the middleware server 130 for creating qualityrequirements or directives according to one exemplary embodiment of theinvention. In this Figure, the exemplary screen display 123 can comprisea declarative form of the questions made with the task sheet formationarea of FIG. 1C. In the specific embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1D,declarative statements for Food Safety Requirements are listed. A usercan edit these statements that will also change the related questions inthe corresponding task sheets.

Referring now to FIG. 1E, this Figure is an exemplary screen display 133of software running on a wireless handheld computer 105 for answeringquestions relating to quality requirements or directives according toone exemplary embodiment of the invention. To answer these questions, auser can use an answer selection button 135 that can display a list ofanswers that can be selected by a user. Alternatively, a user can key-inanswers in the box regions beneath the questions and adjacent to theanswer selection buttons 135.

A user can also select a view/edit button 137 to display answers to thequestions as well as editing the answers. The view/edit button 137 canalso be selected to view the declarative form of the standard ordirective that is the basis for a particular question. As noted above,these questions can be the most current measures that have been issuedby an organization for accessing the performance of its members. Unlikepaper, these questions displayed on a wireless handheld computer 105 canbe updated frequently and so that all wireless handheld computers 105 ofan organization display the same questions. After the questions areanswered, the wireless handheld computers 105 can store the answersuntil the wireless handheld computers 105 are synchronized with themiddleware server 130.

Referring now to FIG. 1F, this Figure is an exemplary screen display 143of software running on a wireless handheld computer 105 for displayingquality standards, requirements, or directives according to oneexemplary embodiment of the invention. Screen display 143 can bedisplayed in response to selection of the view/edit button 137 of FIG.1E. For the specific embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1F, screen display143 can comprise food safety requirements. These food safetyrequirements are the same ones produced from the task sheets in FIG. 1Cthat are also illustrated in FIG. 1D. The screen display 143 can be usedby a representative of an organization if he or she needs to understandthe larger picture or perspective behind questions being presented on aspecific task sheet of a wireless handheld computer 105.

Referring now to FIG. 1G, this Figure is an exemplary screen display 153of software running on the middleware server 130 for creating summaryscoring reports 10 based on answers received from one or more wirelesshandheld computers 105 at different locations 150 according to oneexemplary embodiment of the invention. Each summary scoring report 10can list location names 13, sheet types 16 used at each location 150 ofa member of an organization, points earned 19 at each location 150,points available 22 at each location 150, points earned 25 at eachlocation 150, and questions asked 28 by particular task sheets runningon wireless handheld computers 105. With the summary scoring report 153,an organization can assess the relative performance of each one of itsmembers at their respective locations 150. This summary report 153 canbe made available on the national public database 155C. The datacollected for this summary report 153 can be made by national reps 215Cwho visit each location with their wireless handheld computers 105C.

Referring to FIG. 1H, this Figure is another exemplary screen display163 of software running on the middleware server 130 for creatingdetailed scoring reports 33 based on answers received from one or morewireless handheld computers 105 at a single location 150 according toone exemplary embodiment of the invention. Each detailed scoring report33 can list the performance of a particular location 150. Each detailedscoring report 33 can list points in a section 31, points evaluated 34,points earned 19, and a score 37. Detailed scoring reports 33 can becompleted by both national reps 215C and individual members 215A, 215B.

However, the detailed scoring reports 33 completed by individual members215A, 215B would not be public and would be stored on the respectiveprivate databases 155A, 155B. Detailed scoring reports 33 completed bynational reps 215C would be available to all members of an organizationthrough the public national database 155C. The detailed scoring reports33 can list the scores for particular sections evaluated with theirrespective subsections. For example, under the section of “Cleanliness,”its respective subsections and the scores of the subsections can bedisplayed. Cleanliness includes the subsections of dining areas,exterior, front counter, playground, and restrooms. As noted above, bykeeping detailed scoring reports 33 completed by individual membersprivate, members are more encouraged to answer questions more honestlyand thoroughly so that each member can use the reports 33 to improveperformance of a location 150 within an organization.

Referring now to FIG. 11, this Figure is yet another exemplary screendisplay 173 of software running on the middleware server 130 forcreating budget reports 38 based on answers received from one or morewireless handheld computers 105 at different locations 150 according toone exemplary embodiment of the invention. Similar to the detailedscoring reports 33 illustrated in FIG. 1H, each budget report 38 canlist points in a section 31, points evaluated 34, points earned 19, anda score 37. The budget report 38 can summarize scores across multiplesections that were evaluated, such as site construction, concrete,metals, wood and plastics, etc. However, unlike the detailed scoringreports 33 of FIG. 1H, the budget reports 38 list sections without anysubsections. The budget reports 33 can be completed by both nationalreps 215C and individual members 215A, 215B. Reports completed bynational reps 215C can be made available to members on the nationalpublic database 155C while reports completed by individual members 215A,215B can be stored on respective private databases 155A, 155B.

Referring now to FIG. 1J, this Figure is a bar chart 42 that can compareresults of tests from a first location 150A relative to a secondlocation 150B of a organization based on answers received from one ormore wireless handheld computers 105 at the two locations 150 accordingto one exemplary embodiment of the invention. The bar chart 42 candisplay the results of one or more tests that were performed atrespective locations 150. With the bar chart 42, an organization canassess the relative performance of each one of its members at theirrespective locations 150. This bar chart 42 can be made available on thenational public database 155C. The data collected for this bar chart 42can be made by national reps 215C who visit each location 150 with theirwireless handheld computers 105C.

The processes and operations of the middleware software 170 describedbelow with respect to all of the logic flow diagrams may include themanipulation of signals by a processor and the maintenance of thesesignals within data structures resident in one or more memory storagedevices. For the purposes of this discussion, a process can be generallyconceived to be a sequence of computer-executed steps leading to adesired result.

These steps usually require physical manipulations of physicalquantities. Usually, though not necessarily, these quantities take theform of electrical, magnetic, or optical signals capable of beingstored, transferred, combined, compared, or otherwise manipulated. It isconvention for those skilled in the art to refer to representations ofthese signals as bits, bytes, words, information, elements, symbols,characters, numbers, points, data, entries, objects, images, files, orthe like. It should be kept in mind, however, that these and similarterms are associated with appropriate physical quantities for computeroperations, and that these terms are merely conventional labels appliedto physical quantities that exist within and during operation of thecomputer.

It should also be understood that manipulations within the computer areoften referred to in terms such as listing, creating, adding,calculating, comparing, moving, receiving, determining, configuring,identifying, populating, loading, performing, executing, storing etc.that are often associated with manual operations performed by a humanoperator. The operations described herein can be machine operationsperformed in conjunction with various input provided by a human operatoror user that interacts with the computer.

In addition, it should be understood that the programs, processes,methods, etc. described herein are not related or limited to anyparticular computer or apparatus. Rather, various types of generalpurpose machines may be used with the following process in accordancewith the teachings described herein.

The present invention may comprise a computer program or hardware or acombination thereof which embodies the functions described herein andillustrated in the appended flow charts. However, it should be apparentthat there could be many different ways of implementing the invention incomputer programming or hardware design, and the invention should not beconstrued as limited to any one set of computer program instructions.

Further, a skilled programmer would be able to write such a computerprogram or identify the appropriate hardware circuits to implement thedisclosed invention without difficulty based on the flow charts andassociated description in the application text, for example. Therefore,disclosure of a particular set of program code instructions or detailedhardware devices is not considered necessary for an adequateunderstanding of how to make and use the invention. The inventivefunctionality of the claimed computer implemented processes will beexplained in more detail in the following description in conjunctionwith the remaining Figures illustrating other process flows.

Further, certain steps in the processes or process flow described in allof the logic flow diagrams below must naturally precede others for thepresent invention to function as described. However, the presentinvention is not limited to the order of the steps described if suchorder or sequence does not alter the functionality of the presentinvention. That is, it is recognized that some steps may be performedbefore, after, or in parallel other steps without departing from thescope and spirit of the present invention.

Referring now to FIG. 2A, this Figure is a logic flow diagramillustrating an exemplary method 200A for creating task sheets onquality that are destined for wireless hand-held computers 105 accordingto one exemplary embodiment of the invention. Step 201 is the first stepin the process in which the task sheet type can be defined for thecurrent standard, policy, or directive being created. Software 170 thatexecutes method 200A can be accessed through the server 130. The type oftask sheets that can be created can include, but are not limited to, thefollowing: Call Sheet; Reset Sheet; Survey; Promotion; RTV; PK; SpecialProject; Cross-Merchandising; Weekend Call Sheet; Store Walk; Inventory;Labels; Sales Driver; Assemble Display; Maintenance; Service Comments;POP; Down Stock; Management; Store Wide; Action Plans; Staffing; NewStore Sheet; Planogram Integrity; Events; Order; MAP; Set Integrity;Display Building; Out of Service; Violation; Training; Audits;Inspections; Quality Management; Administrative; Food Safety; and/orPersonnel.

Next, in step 204, a name 102 can be assigned for the task sheet beingcreated. See FIG. 1C and the name 102 of “Food Safety” assigned to thetask sheet being created in screen display 100. In step 207, a question107 can be selected from a list 111 of questions as illustrated in FIG.1C. The selected question 107 can be inserted into the task sheetadjacent to other questions 103.

In decision step 210, it is determined if a new question is desired tobe created. If the inquiry to decision step 210 is negative, then the“No” branch is followed to decision step 219. If the inquiry to decisionstep 210 is positive, then the “Yes” branch is followed to step 213 inwhich input can be received for a new question. For example, in FIG. 1Cinput can received in can be saved. The version number, date, and timeallow can allow an organization to track the evolution of its policies,procedures, or directives.

In decision step 219, it is determined if an existing question from thelist of questions is being modified. If the inquiry to decision step 219is negative, then the “No” branch is followed to step 234. If theinquiry to decision step 219 is positive, then the “Yes” branch isfollowed to step 222. In step 222, the version number of the question isidentified. Next, in step 225, the version counter is increased by anincrement. In step 228, input regarding the change to the question canbe accepted. Next, in step 231, the change to the question, the versionnumber, date, and time for the question are stored in memory. In step232, all questions with the old version number are updated with themodified or new question. In this way, any updates to similar policies,procedures, or directives are automatically updated even if the user isworking in a specific area on quality for an organization.

Subsequently, in decision step 234, it is determined if the user isfinished with creating the task sheet. If the inquiry to decision step234 is negative, then the “No” branch is followed back to step 207. Ifthe inquiry to decision step 234 is positive, then the “Yes” branch isfollowed to step 237.

In step 237, an integrity check is conducted. An integrity checkinterrogates all of the user defined tasks to ensure that all of therequired elements of the task are complete. The system allows a user todo partial work and then complete their work at a later time. Theintegrity checks ensure that all task formulations created by the userare supported by the various task driven application components. Forexample, some environments do not support the nesting of loopingquestion types where other environments do. The integrity check willdetect non-supported task formulations and prevent these tasks fromnegatively impacting environments that do not support the taskformulation. Performing the integrity check when the user “commits”their work ensures that all required elements are in place before thetask is used in subsequent processes such as publishing the task sheetor attaching the task sheet to a task recipient.

In decision step 240, it is determined if the integrity check wassuccessful. If the inquiry to decision step 240 is negative, the “No”branch is followed back to step 237 in which another integrity check isexecuted. If the inquiry to decision step 240, the “Yes” branch isfollowed to decision step 243.

In decision step 243, it is determined if the user desires to publishthe new created task sheet or updated task sheet to all of the wirelesshandheld computers 105 that in the organization. If the inquiry todecision step 243 is negative, then the new or updated task sheet issaved and the “No” branch is followed back to step 201. If the inquiryto decision step 243 is positive, then the “Yes” branch is followed tostep 246. In step 246, the new created task sheet or updated task sheetis distributed to all the wireless handheld computers 105. The processthen ends.

Referring now to FIG. 2B, this Figure is a logic flow diagramillustrating an exemplary method 200B for processing task sheets onquality with wireless hand-held computers 105 according to one exemplaryembodiment of the invention. Routine 200A is the first part of themethod 200B in which task sheets can be created with the software 170.Details of Routine 200A are illustrated and discussed above in referenceto FIG. 2A.

Next, routine 300A is the next stage of method 200B. In routine 300A,one or more wireless handheld computers 105 are synchronized with theserver 130 and software 170. Further details of routine 300A arediscussed below with respect to FIG. 3. Next in step 249, a list ofavailable task sheets on quality can be displayed with a wirelesshandheld computer 105. In step 252, a selection for a task sheet onquality can be received with a wireless handheld computer 105. In step255, one or more questions of a task sheet on quality can be displayedwith a wireless handheld computer 105 as illustrated in FIG. 1E.

In step 258, input for answer(s) to questions on quality can be receivedwith one or more wireless handheld computers 105. Next, in step 261,input for each answer to questions on quality can be stored with awireless handheld computer 105. In decision step 264, it is determinedif a wireless link to server 130 is available. If the inquiry todecision step 264 is negative, then the “No” branch is followed todecision step 270. If the inquiry to decision step 264 is positive, thenthe “Yes” branch is followed to routine 300B in which the wirelesshandheld computer 105 is synchronized. Further details of routine 300Bare discussed below in connection with FIG. 3.

In decision step 270, it is determined if a standard, directive, orprocedure associated with a question on quality of a task sheet shouldbe displayed. In this step, a user can select the view/edit button 137in order to view the declarative form of a standard, directive, orprocedure associated with question of a task sheet on quality. If theinquiry to decision step 270 is negative, then the “No” branch isfollowed to step 276. If the inquiry to decision step 270 is positive,then the “Yes” branch is followed to step 273 in which the standard ordirective associated with a question can be displayed with a wirelesshandheld computer 105. For example, see FIG. 1F, that illustrates FoodSafety requirements that are associated with questions of a task sheet.

Next, in step 276, the questions on quality of a task sheet can bedisplayed on the wireless handheld computer 105. In step 279, input forone or more answers to the questions of quality can be received with thewireless handheld computer 105. In decision step 281, it is determinedif a wireless link to server 130 is available. If the inquiry todecision step 281 is negative, then the “No” branch is followed todecision step 284. If the inquiry to decision step 281 is positive, thenthe “Yes” branch is followed to routine 300C in which the wirelesshandheld computer 105 is synchronized. Further details of routine 300Care discussed below in connection with FIG. 3.

In decision step 284, it is determined if a user is finished with thetask sheet being displayed on a wireless handheld computer 105. If theinquiry to decision step 284 is negative, then the “No” branch isfollowed back to step 276. If the inquiry to decision step 284 ispositive, then the “Yes” branch is followed to decision step 287. Indecision step 287, it is determined if the user of the wireless handheldcomputer 105 desires to work on another task sheet. If the inquiry todecision step 287 is negative, then the “No” branch is followed back tostep 249. If the inquiry to decision step 287 is positive, then the“Yes” branch is followed to step 290 in which the server 130 cangenerate a scoring report based on the input received by one or morewireless handheld computers 105. Exemplary scoring reports areillustrated in FIGS. 1G-1I.

In step 293, requests are received at the server 130 for one or morescoring reports. In step 296, the one or more scoring reports can betransmitted over the network 120 to desktop computer 145 or wirelesshandheld computers 105 (or both).

Referring now to FIG. 3, this Figure is a logic flow diagramillustrating an exemplary routine 300 for synchronizing wirelesshand-held computers 105 with a middleware server 130 according to oneexemplary embodiment of the invention. Details of routine 300 are morefully described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______, entitled“System and Method For Communicating Data Between Wireless MobileHand-Held Computer and a Back-End Computer System,” filed on Dec. 23,2005 (Attorney Docket No. 07258.105008), which is hereby fullyincorporated herein by reference.

However, an overview of this synchronization routine 300 is providedbelow. After it is determined that a wireless connection is available instep 301, the middleware server 130 receives a synchronization requestcontaining a particular identifier from the wireless handheld computer105 in step 305. In step 310, the middleware server 130 associates theidentifier with the database 135. The identifier can associate eachmember into different groups or classifications in the database. Forexample, a member of an organization may be associated with differentdivisions or territories based on where the member is assigned. Theseclassifications make it more efficient to determine the updatedinformation that the members receive on their wireless handheldcomputers 105.

In routine 315, the files are uploaded from the wireless handheldcomputers 105 to the middleware server 130. Upon successful storage ofthe upload file, the middleware server 130 acknowledges successfulupload to the wireless handheld computers 105. Upon acknowledgement, thewireless handheld computer 105 archives and/or deletes the source uploadfile and continues to transmit each remaining upload file following thesame process. Routine 315 will be discussed in more detail below inreference to FIG. 4. After processing all upload files, the wirelesshandheld computer 105 downloads files from the middleware server 130 inroutine 320. Routine 320 will be discussed in more detail below inreference to FIG. 5. Upon completion of the upload and downloadprotocols, the wireless handheld computer 105 then disconnects from themiddleware server 130 without awaiting an acknowledgement that the fileswere received intact and successfully stored in the appropriatedatabase.

Referring now to FIG. 4, this Figure is a logic flow diagramillustrating an exemplary method 315 for uploading files from a wirelesshand-held computer to a middleware server 130 according to one exemplaryembodiment of the invention. The exemplary routine 315 is merelyillustrative and, in alternative embodiments of the invention, certainsteps can be performed in a different order, in parallel with oneanother, certain steps can be omitted entirely, and/or certainadditional steps can be performed.

According to the middleware software 170, uploads from a wirelesshandheld computer 105 to the middleware server 130 are meant to be “fastand dumb.” To facilitate a rapid upload process, the middleware client170 specifies that each wireless handheld computer 105 maintains anindex of files to be uploaded to the middleware server 130. In step 400,the index is transmitted to the middleware server 130 during the initialsynchronization request of step 305. In step 405, the middleware server130 parses the index received from the wireless handheld computer 105and cross-references each indexed file against its list of filesreceived from the wireless handheld computer 105.

In step 410, the middleware server 130 then instructs the wirelesshandheld computer 105 to upload only those indexed files that have notbeen previously received and/or not received within a certain timeframeby the middleware server 130.

In step 415, the wireless handheld computer 105 uploads its files to aqueue on the middleware server 130. In step 420, the middleware server130 processes the queued files. Part of the processing in step 420involves formatting the queued files into an understandable format. Instep 425, the middleware server 130 transfers the queued files to thedatabase 155.

In step 430, any files received intact from the wireless handheldcomputer 105 are added to the list maintained by the middleware server130. The list may be specific to the wireless handheld computers 105(e.g., identified by a handheld identification number) and may recordthe date and time of reception for each file.

Finally, in step 435, the database 155 can communicate through themiddleware server 130 again to utilize the middleware software 170 totransmit updated task sheets to wireless handheld computers 105 thathave previously requested the data or to wireless handheld computers 105that have just requested the data. The transmission of the updated ornewly created task sheets allows the wireless handheld computers 105connected to the network to have near real-time access to the new orupdated information.

Referring now to FIG. 5, this Figure is a logic flow diagramillustrating an exemplary method 320 for downloading files from amiddleware server 130 to wireless hand-held computers 105 according toone exemplary embodiment of the invention. The exemplary routine 320 ismerely illustrative and, in alternative embodiments of the invention,certain steps can be performed in a different order, in parallel withone another, certain steps can be omitted entirely, and/or certainadditional steps can be performed.

According to the middleware software 170, files downloaded from themiddleware server 130 to the handheld device 105 are staged in advanceof the file synchronization request in step 305. Therefore, in step 500,the middleware server 130 will have previously determined which filesneed to be downloaded to the wireless handheld computer 105 in advanceof the receipt of a synchronization request. Files may be associatedwith particular wireless handheld computers 105, particular groups ofmembers of an organization, particular locations 150, etc., by assigningunique identifiers to any such entities. When a file synchronizationrequest is received at the middleware server 130 from a wirelesshandheld computer 105 in step 305, the middleware server 130 may detectone or more identifiers associated with the wireless handheld computer105 in step 505. In step 510, the middleware server 130 transmits anyfiles associated with the identifier(s) to the wireless handheldcomputer 105. A hierarchy of priorities for each type of identifier(e.g., handheld device ID, group ID, etc.) may be established so thatfile downloads may be managed at the device level and/or at the grouplevel. A determination as to whether to download a file to a wirelesshandheld computer 105 may be based on the “last change” date of the fileand/or the date the file was last sent to the wireless handheld computer105. Of course, such dates may be ignored in an appropriate case and allfiles associated with the identifier(s) of the wireless handheldcomputer 105 may be downloaded.

After receiving the files in step 510, the wireless handheld computer105 sorts and displays new or updated task sheets on quality in step 515based on the software of the wireless handheld computer 105 and thepreferences set a member. In step 520, a member 215 can make selectionson the wireless handheld computer 105 to view the particular categoriesin order to review the customer information. After the member 215 makesa selection, the wireless handheld computer 105 can display the nextlevel of information associated with the particular category comprisingthe most current information on quality for the organization.

It will be appreciated that the exemplary embodiments of the inventionovercome the limitations of the prior art. From the description of theexemplary embodiments, equivalents of the elements shown therein andways of constructing other embodiments of the invention will be apparentto practitioners of the art. Many other modifications, features andembodiments of the invention will become evident to those of skill inthe art. It should be appreciated, therefore, that many aspects of theinvention were described above by way of example only and are notintended as required or essential elements of the invention unlessexplicitly stated otherwise. Accordingly, it should be understood thatthe foregoing relates only to certain embodiments of the invention andthat numerous changes can be made therein without departing from thespirit and scope of the invention as defined by the following claims. Itshould also be understood that the invention is not restricted to theillustrated embodiments and that various modifications can be madewithin the scope of the following claims.

1. A method for monitoring quality of an organization comprising thesteps of: receiving input comprising quality information with a wirelesshandheld computer; preparing a plurality of files in advance ofreceiving a synchronization request; receiving a synchronization requestcontaining a unique identifier from a wireless handheld computer at amiddleware server; receiving a file index from the wireless handheldcomputer at the middleware server; comparing the file index to a filelist at the middleware server; transmitting a plurality of files thathave not been previously received with the middleware server via awireless network; and transmitting a plurality of files associated withthe unique identifier and comprising information on quality for theorganization to the wireless handheld computer via the wireless network.2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of receiving asynchronization request further comprises associating the uniqueidentifier with at least one database.
 3. The method of claim 1, furthercomprising determining whether a wireless connection with the network isavailable.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of transmitting aplurality of files that have not been previously received to amiddleware server further comprises: formatting the plurality of filesinto a readable format at the middleware server; and updating the filelist maintained by the middleware server.
 5. The method of claim 1,further comprising transmitting task sheets comprising qualityinformation about the organization to a plurality of wireless handheldcomputers via a wireless network.
 6. The method of claim 1, furthercomprising creating a scoring report based on the input received by thewireless handheld computer.
 7. A system for monitoring quality of anorganization comprising: a wireless handheld computer for receivinginput comprising quality information, the wireless handheld computergenerating a file index that identifies files ready for uploading to aserver; and the server coupled to the wireless handheld computer via awireless network, the server preparing a plurality of files in advanceof receiving a synchronization request from the wireless handheldcomputer, the synchronization request comprising a unique identifier;the server receiving the file index from the wireless handheld computerand comparing the file index to a file list; the wireless handheldcomputer transmitting a plurality of files that have not been previouslyreceived by the server via the wireless network; the server transmittinga plurality of files associated with the unique identifier andcomprising information on quality for the organization to the handhelddevice via the wireless network.
 8. The system of claim 7, wherein thewireless handheld computer runs software comprising tests on qualityinformation corresponding to the organization.
 9. The system of claim 7,wherein the server creates a scoring report based on the input receivedby the wireless handheld computer.
 10. The system of claim 7, furthercomprising a client coupled to the server, the client requesting accessto the files stored by the server.
 11. The system of claim 7, furthercomprising a database coupled to the server and accessible by members ofthe organization.
 12. The system of claim 7, further comprising adatabase coupled to the server and accessible only by a members of asingle location of the organization.
 13. The system of claim 7, furthercomprising first and second databases, the first database comprising adata store coupled to the server and accessible by members of theorganization, the second database comprising a data store coupled to theserver and accessible only by a members of a single location of theorganization.
 14. A method for monitoring quality of an organizationcomprising the steps of: defining a task sheet type for monitoring thequality of the organization; selecting a question from a list ofquestions for insertion into the task sheet; inserting the question intothe task sheet; preparing the task sheet advance of receiving asynchronization request; receiving a synchronization request containinga unique identifier from a wireless handheld computer at a middlewareserver; receiving a file index from the wireless handheld computer witha middleware server; comparing the file index to a file list at themiddleware server; transmitting a plurality of files from the wirelesshandheld computer that have not been previously received by themiddleware server via a wireless network; and transmitting the tasksheet to the wireless handheld computer via the wireless network. 15.The method of claim 14, further comprising receiving input for creatinga new question for the list of questions.
 16. The method of claim 14,further comprising tracking at least one of a version number, date, andtime for each question in the list of questions.
 17. The method of claim14, further comprising conducting an integrity check prior totransmitting the task sheet to the wireless handheld computer.
 18. Themethod of claim 14, further comprising storing the files received fromwireless handheld computer in a database that is accessible by allmembers of the organization.
 19. The method of claim 14, furthercomprising storing the files received from wireless handheld computer ina database that is accessible by only members of a single location ofthe organization.
 20. The method of claim 14, further comprisingcreating a scoring report based on the files received from the wirelesshandheld computer.